Capitol Hill Brief — The Rape Kits Backlog Problem

Did you know that many women who have been sexually assaulted have received no justice, while the perpetrators are free to commit further assaults because of a backlog on what is known as the “sexual assault kit” or “SAKs”?

It’s basically a kit containing DNA evidence that could (and, in a considerable amount of cases, indeed does) help authorities to catch the criminals. But many of these kits have remained on shelves for years because authorities have not been able to process them yet.

This is simply unacceptable.

Although we recognize that DNA science is a relatively recent development, we must do better to implement the processes necessary to use this technology more efficiently and bring justice to these victims.

Join us on the front lines. Help us defend victims of sexual assault at both the national and state level. Visit www.CapitolHillBrief.org today. If you’d like to hear these commentaries on the radio, find me on your local radio station.